feature art friday | kirra jamison

well, i told you i was into colourful art lately and that i would have a lot more to share. so here is some more! these delightful gouache (and vinyl) on paper paintings by kirra jamison are so whimsical that i can't help but smile. what i find to be most interesting is how necessary the colour is to the feeling the works exude. imagine these trees in a monochrome of black and white. they would be quite sad and even slightly gothic/creepy wouldn't they?

p.s. did you see "our wedding album"?

our wedding album

i always knew that i didn't want to create a tradition wedding album - the kind where you lift the sheet of clear plastic and slide the photo in underneath. actually, i wouldn't have believed that kind still existed if i hadn't seen one just today! so when i saw a groupon for blurb, an online photo book company - it seemed like fate. 

they have a program that you can use to insert your photos onto the pages. despite never having problems with my trusty mac,* i couldn't seem to get the program to work. it was never able to load fully on my computer. however, i tried it on another computer and had no problems. in fact i was impressed at how quickly the high resolution photos were uploaded. i was able to shift my pictures and swap pages easily. there were tons of fun layouts to choose from, and a warning sign popped up if i tried to make the photo too big.  

i used some of my favourite photos from the day (by boston avenue, who were amazing), and here and there i inserted words from our guestbook - the "dictionary" of our language together**. the book is tiny, but it's perfect. i like to imagine sharing it with our future children one day. 

 

* i mean come on, this is the computer which i spilled a glass of water all over and it survived. i also left it on a bus once, and it made it's way safely back to me. my mac is a trooper (so is my iphone which i dropped in the toilet one time. i don't want it to feel left out of this apple compliment party...)
** if you click on the photos and zoom in, you may even be able to read some!

fifty-two projects | project nine

this is project nine of fifty-two projects. for more completed projects, click here.

project nine | the next time you or somebody else breaks a glass in your home, instead of throwing out the pieces, collect the remnants, carefully clean them, and then place them in a jar. a glass that gets broken during a party is the best kind to save. 

alteration | this glass breaking did not happen at my home but at my new job. i did not save it because i assumed that would think i was wackadoo! i was already taking pictures of it for goodness sakes!

so ya, i broke this glass at an art exhibition opening at my new job. my first opening there and i break a glass. how lucky for me that i get to commemorate that completely embarassing moment on this blog. i didn't save the glass and i didn't put it in a jar and label it, but this blog is kind of like one big jar full of memories so i'm labeling the moment here: september eigth, two thousand and eleven. great opening, jam packed, great party. i broke a wineglass. xo, kaitlyn.

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what i made | under the sea

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jewelry chooseday | marshmallow and lily

sometimes the simplest ideas can be the best. i love these little bangles by marshmallow and lily from puerto rico. they remind me of colour field paintings such as this and this. what i mean is that, it's the type of thing you look and at and think "i could've have done that."* but the thing is...you didn't and you won't. you didn't do it first...or if you did you didn't sell it or market it the right way.

i love how simple but modern and colourful these pieces are. i've said it before and i'll say it again - anyone who can make this black loving girl enjoy colour has accomplished a real feat!

* serious serious pet peeve when it comes to art. "i could have done that" and "my kid could do that" drive me craaazy!

mail art monday | nineteen twenties mail art

a couple of weeks ago i received a letter with no return address, simply a heart and the inscription "H2." j and i had fun guessing who it might be. it was the writing that gave away my friend hilary, but it wasn't until i opened it that i understood the "h squared" - it was a joint letter from my old roommates hilary and holly. after i got over the jealously of knowing they'd spent time together, despite living in two different provinces, i was able to enjoy the letter. they even gave me a gift - a twenty-five dollar "loan" to be donated however i deem appropriate on kiva.

since they would no longer be together by the time i wrote them back, i instead created two twin pieces of mail art with a corresponding nineteen twenties flapper/fashion theme. hopefully they have as much fun finding these in their mail box as i did making them!

purchase the mail art challenge here

sunday seller | word for word

i was reading an etsy forum discussion today and came across a post by the creator of word for word greetings. visiting her shop i found myself tickled by these paint chip cards! she salvages old paint chips and combines two colours with relevant titles to create a themed greeting card such as a cocktail party, a birthday, or a baby shower. i love the simplicity and the modern feel of her work. click the link below for more!

shop word for word greetings

isavirtue blog | how you find me

sad bunny via

after reading a recent post by my wishcake on the keywords people use to find her blog, i just knew i had to look up my top keywords. in my case they are really more "key sentences" but they amuse me none the less. without further ado:

getting married in nine days | really? when i did that blog post it just happened to be nine days before my wedding. i can totally see googling "getting married in one day" or "getting married in seven days" - but nine?

kaitlyn is a virtue | why yes, yes i am.

stop with the puns | i can't!!

they both got curated several times | this is the last line of a movie - i can't remember which one but since i aspire to be a curator, it amused me immensely. even funnier however, was the person who googled "what does 'they both got curated' mean?" i can just see this person laughing with their friend at the end of the movie and then going home and madly googling what it means!

lonely bunny/bunny sad | what?

why don't people dress anymore? | if you can believe it, i get this one a lot. i think it's from a post i did in which i inquired "why don't people dress up anymore?"* but when you take out the word "up" it's sooo much funnier.

inextricably happy | i actually really like this one because i remember walking home from work one day and being very very happy. inextricably and  inexplicably so. i like to imagine the person that searched that was as well.

do spiders look pregnant? | a perfectly valid search query.

making a zibellini | i don't even know what that is! i had to google it myself just now!**

i need a speech about my husband | i wonder if they have sites that sell wedding speeches the same way they sell college essays? this search refers to this speech - not for sale.

marzipan miniature people/marzipan babies/marzipan baby shoe/miniature clay babies/tiny babies/over-sized baby | so it turns out people are incredibly fascinated by oddly sized babies.

sketch of a pillow | i know why i posted it and it made total sense but why would someone google this? is this what they are drawing in art class now instead of nudes?

what to put on the front of envelopes when sending a letter | this is a person who needs my help. i'm glad you found my blog dear friend.

spoiled meringue | yes, my blog is exactly the place to come to if you want to know how you can eff up meringue pie.

and my absolute personal favourite all time key word search....drum roll please...

the corruption of my innocence.

* and i'm still wondering this!
** OH!! hahaha, now i remember. anyways, that's creepy.

thoughts on | reproduction art

i was going to do a post on original art vs. reproductions but i'm twisting the topic a little bit because i saw something the other day that perturbed me. i'm still perturbed actually.

it was my best friend's birthday this week so i went to one of her favourite stores to look for a gift (very ikea, very franchise, not mom and pop). i chose a nice vase, but the artwork that they had on the walls distracted me because it looked so...original. so i thought, "oh right, i've seen this before. it's when they make a canvas transfer or giclee of a piece of artwork and then they use a clear glaze to apply "brushstrokes" overtop of the piece to make it look like an original or more 'authentic'." but as i stepped closer to the pieces i realized that they were in fact paint on canvas.

urban barn. fields of gold. $119

so i said to the salesgirl "why do some of these pieces look like originals?" and she said something like "well, because they were painted." which really only got me one titch farther than my own thought process had taken me. i kind of wanted to shake her a bit because she was so very blase about it.

after doing a few laps around the store i came across a piece that i knew my friend would love. i pointed it out to the salesgirl and told her i would like to buy it. i thought she would reach up and take it down off the wall but no - she went into the back and brought me out a freshly wrapped one! the exact same piece but not! as if it was a purse i had chosen and she was fetching me a non-display purse from the backroom!

urban barn. inspiration 2. $49*

and here's the craziest part - these artworks are not priced like originals. they are priced much lower. disturbingly low for original art if you ask me! so what does this mean? these are handcrafted works of art, but they are being sold as reproductions, at reproduction prices. what does this mean for the future of original art? even i can see how tempting it is to buy an artwork like this because the price is so much lower than buying a piece in a gallery. more importantly - what does this mean for the artist. by mass producing these original pieces, they are essentially erasing and belittling the artist's importance in the process. are the people that painted these even artists?

i mean really...paintings on a production line? what's next??

* 49 dollars!!!

feature art friday | maya hayuk

i saw this (first piece of) art by maya hayuk, represented by the show and tell gallery in toronto, awhile ago but it was one of those pieces that i just kept coming back too. literally, i kept googling it and searching for it over and over again.* i love how maya's work is so simple and yet so very striking at the same time. her art also has a very futuristic feel to it which is neat - particularly the third piece here.

can you tell i'm totally obsessed with colourful art lately?? click "art" on my side bar categories and you'll see what i mean! and i've got some more great colourful pieces to post in the upcoming weeks. they are so colourful you'll think i'm having rainbows for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* why i didn't just bookmark it who knows?

fifty-two projects | project thirty-three

this is project thirty-three of fifty-two projects. for more completed projects click here.

project thirty-three | find the first poem you ever wrote. read it over. try to remember the story of why you wrote it, what inspired you and who it was for. then, write a new poem. once you're done, date it, and put it in the place where you found your first one, so that they can both be rediscovered at some point in the future.

alteration | i will re-read old poems written to me, not by me.

below is a poem that was written to me by my tenth grade boyfriend.

to me,
you are the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow.
the shiny white pearl
in a clam.
the cherry on top
of a banana sundae.
the middle
of an oreo.
i ran out of ideas.

after i found and read this i thought "gosh, that is so sweet, and so simple. i would love to have someone write me a poem again." then i remembered - wait! my husband wrote me a great poem!

serious pg 13 rating!!! scroll down if you are over 13.

when we first met, i was caught up by your eyes
i saw the deep blue, and they started to hypnotize
it is the worst when i am forced to see them cry
for every time it was my fault i sincerely apologize

my absolute favourite of your parts, is your fantastic ***
the thing that both literally and metaphorically i can't look past
even though we do weird things like compliment each other's ***
i find it to be lovely, for sure not rude or crass

your knowledge and intelligence do seem to overwhelm
the way you approach life and school, you grab it by the helm
do not fret when you have a prof that chooses to condemn
for what they do not realize is that the problem stems from them

touching your soft, smooth and **** body is better than the rest
the greatest time i love to spend with you is when we romp and ***
how i love to need the kneading of your tender *******
the one request i have is that you don't make me an ex

your body and your person are definitely in high demand
you must have been the topic in john mayer's "wonderland"
i will do whatever you need and your wish is my command
i love you forever and a day, i hope you understand.


so my own poem in response to this one written to me by j three years ago is:

the first time i encountered you
i knew that one would become two
you smiled at me
warmth i could see
at that moment my life felt fresh and new

my favourite part of your physique
is the soft part at the top of your cheek
the rest of your face
is completely fur based
its that soft spot i always seek

you rhyme like a famous rapper
you can be stylish, droll and dapper
your confidence is thrilling
...i ran out of ideas.*

*it's 1:30 am and i'm sooo tired i can't think anymore. 

what i made | yuletide greetings!

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jewelry chooseday | okapi knits

i'm absolutely fascinated by these neck pieces. created by okapi knits on etsy, they are lovingly crocheted. there is something really artistic and sculptural about them don't you think? i love their asymmetrical and organic nature. the only downside would be that for me, i'm rarely showing this much  ...neck or chest area so i don't think i could do them justice by showing the entire thing. though i suppose they would also look lovely on top of a flat shirt, high neck or boatneck collar...

mail art monday | bettina k.

wow. i am consistently impressed by these ladies who participate in the mail art challenge! this completed challenge comes to us all the way from germany - created by bettina k. lucky for us, we have the picture of the challenge in pieces, before it was altered into this beautiful piece of mail art. don't you just love how she sewed the sides of the envelope? the real lucky person however, is the recipient of bettina's mail!

purchase your mail art challenge here

p.s. in case you missed it yesterday - the owner of madison street beauty on etsy is offering my readers fifty percent off your total order! use the code "fan50."